Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Chinese term or phrase:
常平仓
English translation:
Price-regulating granary
Added to glossary by
sheautyan
Feb 27, 2023 20:53
1 yr ago
25 viewers *
Chinese term
常平仓
Chinese to English
Art/Literary
History
This phrase appears in a text on traditional Chinese culture targeted at schoolchildren.
Context: 平籴法和常平仓的制度化建设，能缓解灾年的破坏性影响，但也需要强大的国力来维持。
Explanation from Baidu:
中国古代政府为调节粮价，储粮备荒以供应官需民食而设置的粮仓。主要是运用价值规律来调剂粮食供应，充分发挥稳定粮食的市场价值的作用。在市场粮价低的时候，适当提高粮价进行大量收购，不仅使朝廷储藏粮食的大谷仓一太仓和甘泉仓都充满了粮食，而且边郡地方也仓廪充盈。在市场粮价高的时候，适当降低价格进行出售。这一措施，既避免了“谷贱伤农”，又防止了“谷贵伤民”，对平抑粮食市场和巩固封建政权起到了积极作用，在一定程度上反映了人民群众的利益和愿望。
https://baike.baidu.com/item/常平仓/1059469
Would it be accurate to translate it as a regulated granary?
Context: 平籴法和常平仓的制度化建设，能缓解灾年的破坏性影响，但也需要强大的国力来维持。
Explanation from Baidu:
中国古代政府为调节粮价，储粮备荒以供应官需民食而设置的粮仓。主要是运用价值规律来调剂粮食供应，充分发挥稳定粮食的市场价值的作用。在市场粮价低的时候，适当提高粮价进行大量收购，不仅使朝廷储藏粮食的大谷仓一太仓和甘泉仓都充满了粮食，而且边郡地方也仓廪充盈。在市场粮价高的时候，适当降低价格进行出售。这一措施，既避免了“谷贱伤农”，又防止了“谷贵伤民”，对平抑粮食市场和巩固封建政权起到了积极作用，在一定程度上反映了人民群众的利益和愿望。
https://baike.baidu.com/item/常平仓/1059469
Would it be accurate to translate it as a regulated granary?
Proposed translations
(English)
| 3 | Price-regulating granary |
Matthew McKay
|
| 3 | stratigic reserve granary |
Patrick Cheng
|
Proposed translations
18 days
Matthew McKay
Switzerland
Switzerland
Native in English
Switzerland
Native UK-Swiss・Culture, NGOs, Finance
Native in: English (Variant: British) 
Works in: Chinese to English, French to English, German to English
Related KudoZ points
:
4
Selected
Price-regulating granary
I agree with the comment that this is the same principle as that of a "strategic reserve", but I would avoid this translation for a few reasons.
1) It calls to mind — a little too readily — the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve, and although they may be analogous, I prefer wherever possible to let a translation stand on its own merit, with reference to the source language and context, rather than needing to be understood by roping in a foreign term as an association or proxy.
2) If we back-translate, the "reserve" in "strategic reserve" is not 仓, but 储备. I think it would be more accurate to stick to a term explicitly involving "granary".
3) There are existing translations of 平常仓. One is "price-regulating granary"; the other is a more literal "Ever-Normal Granary" (links below). I like the literalness of the latter, but it doesn't reveal much about its function, whereas the former comes from a Chinese-language scholarly publication; and if it were me, that's the one I'd go for.
My two cents!
1) It calls to mind — a little too readily — the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve, and although they may be analogous, I prefer wherever possible to let a translation stand on its own merit, with reference to the source language and context, rather than needing to be understood by roping in a foreign term as an association or proxy.
2) If we back-translate, the "reserve" in "strategic reserve" is not 仓, but 储备. I think it would be more accurate to stick to a term explicitly involving "granary".
3) There are existing translations of 平常仓. One is "price-regulating granary"; the other is a more literal "Ever-Normal Granary" (links below). I like the literalness of the latter, but it doesn't reveal much about its function, whereas the former comes from a Chinese-language scholarly publication; and if it were me, that's the one I'd go for.
My two cents!
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thank you for your explanation. I do agree with the idea of having the word granary in the translation as I think it's important given the history of the phrase."
26 mins
Patrick Cheng
United States
United States
Native in Chinese
United States
Earn your trust job by job
Native in: Chinese (Variants: Simplified, Traditional) 
Works in: Chinese to English, English to Chinese
stratigic reserve granary
This works quite similar to Strategic Petroleum Reserve in the US.
Note from asker:
| I think granary is necessary especially looking at the history of it. |
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Audrey Kidwell
: So then I wonder if "strategic grain reserve" would be a better translation. I think the emphasis is on the action of buying up the grain and putting it in reserve, and less so on the physical storage space (granary). Thoughts?
1 day 17 hrs
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